About This Episode
Season 2. Episode 4.
An extraordinary number of television shows and movies focus on the struggles of kids in middle school. The struggle is real for kids at an awkward age where decisions are often poorly made. The brain of kids between ages 10-14 is growing at an amazing rate, and experts agree that is when they need to begin to think about a career and college, often despite their indifference. So how do parents and educators get middle schoolers thinking about the future? In today’s program, we find answers to the tough questions: How to talk to kids, how to successfully get them to begin preparing for college or a successful career, and when they just need to focus on being a kid. Our guests today work through that with kids and families every day, in the Inland Empire.
Featured Guests
Carol Tsushima
Administrator for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Kevin McCarty was elected to the California State Assembly in 2014 to represent the 7th Assembly District, which includes Sacramento, West Sacramento and parts of unincorporated Sacramento County.
McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, which oversees the largest component of California’s multi-billion dollar budget. As Chair, McCarty made historic investments in public education including expanding access to preschool for low and middle income families, providing greater career technical education programs, and increasing student enrollment at our public colleges and universities.
Other legislative priorities for Assemblymember McCarty include addressing housing affordability, fighting climate change, championing criminal justice reform, curbing gun violence, tackling the opioid crisis and advocating for the middle class.
McCarty began his public service career as a Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commissioner and served on the Sacramento City Council from 2004 to 2014. As a Councilmember, he created innovative youth programs and wrote common-sense gun laws, tackled sub-standard rental housing, and crafted clean air policies. He created Sacramento’s Little Saigon district, the City’s Whistleblower Hotline program, and the Independent Auditor department.
A lifelong Sacramentan, McCarty went to local public schools, attended American River College, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CSU Long Beach and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento.
McCarty and his wife live in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Sacramento with their twin daughters.
Like, follow and connect with Assemblymember McCarty on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @AsmKevinMcCarty
Randall Olson
Family Engagement Specialist at San Bernardino City Unified School District
Karen Scott is the Executive Director of the Children and Families Commission – First 5 San Bernardino, a funding organization of services for children prenatal through age 5, by investing revenue received from Prop 10, a tobacco tax initiative in California.
Ms. Scott’s education and background is in Public Administration and Administration of Justice and she has worked in the realm of Human Services for San Bernardino County since 1977. Karen has served as Executive Director of First 5 San Bernardino for 14 years leading the organization’s efforts to promote, support and enhance the health and early development of children, prenatal through age five through coordinated and comprehensive systems of care that strengthen children, families and communities, ensuring children are safe, healthy and ready to enter and succeed in school.
Karen is married to James Scott and has 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren.
Interview Highlights
3:02 – Randy shares why he believes attention to education for middle schoolers is so important
4:10 – Randy describes the greatest areas of need for middle school students when it comes to their family engagement and education
7:30 – Randy discusses how a parent who has never gone to college can prepare their child for higher education
9:50 – Randy briefly summarizes the top 5 findings that are important for us to understand as it pertains to the value of family engagement
14:30 – Randy explains what parents should do to help their kids make a tangible plan for college
18:14 – Randy gives advice to parents who would prefer to give their kids the college talk in high school as opposed to in middle school
27:37 – Carol shares her opinion on the most important things a child must be learning or gaining during middle school
28:55 – Carol describes the top 3 things that a middle school student needs to consider regarding moving from K-12 to college or a career
32:29 – Carol explains what issues are easier to address in middle school as opposed to later on in high school
37:54 – Carol gives insight into how students should go about creating a six-year plan
39:50 – Carol discusses what a “growth mindset” is
44:10 – Carol shares the courses that are most important for middle schoolers to hone in on during the crucial learning period of 7th and 8th grade
45:39 – Special Feature Original Song: Love Theme by: Victoria Romano
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Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.
